Renegade
by Raven McKinnon
Summary: Tropical birds bring Harry news of his godfather's whereabouts after his second dementor escape. Where exactly is Sirius and what's he doing? Will he want to come back to the real world after meeting a fellow renegade?
1. Padfoot's Journey

"RENEGADE"  
  
A/N: HI EVERYBODY! THIS IS MY SECOND FANFICTION, SO IF YOU LIKE SIRIUS BLACK FANFICS, CHECK OUT MY "MARAUDER MAYHEM" ONE. IT'S SET IN THE MARAUDER ERA AND IT ALSO HAS RAVEN IN IT, ALTHOUGH IT'S COMPLETELY INDEPENDENT OF THIS FANFIC. I'VE TRIED WRITING A FANFIC LIKE THIS ONCE BEFORE, BUT I HAD TO START ALL OVER. THIS FANFIC IS BASED ON THE INFO WE HAVE ABOUT SIRIUS' WHEREABOUTS BETWEEN PRISONER OF AZKABAN AND GOBLET OF FIRE. WE KNOW THAT HE'S SOMEWHERE TROPICAL, BECAUSE HARRY GETS BIG TROPICAL BIRDS FROM HIM INSTEAD OF OWLS, SO THIS IS SET RIGHT AFTER PRISONER OF AZKABAN. BY THE WAY, THIS IS NOT SLASH.  
  
ONE MORE THING, ANYONE WHO READS MARAUDER MAYHEM, THE REAL CHAPTER 26 IS UP IF YOU WANT TO READ IT. CHAPTER 27 WILL BE UP AFTER I GET SOME REVIEWS FOR RENEGADE. MUCHAS GRACIAS!  
  
Disclaimer: Sad to say, I don't own Sirius Black. If I did, I would not have killed off the closest thing Harry had to a father because poor Harry's been through enough bullshit already in his life!  
  
Random Thoughts: These are just like my little bit of inspiration or humor that I put at the beginning of every chapter I write. I don't know why, I just like to do it. They have nothing to do with the actual chapter.  
  
This chapter's random thought: "Guys are like roses. You gotta watch out for the pricks!"  
  
Chapter 1 - Padfoot's Journey  
  
"Padfoot!" Remus said quietly as he shook his best friend's shoulder.  
  
Sirius rolled over on his back and groaned. Remus shook him again, more forcefully. "Sirius, c'mon, it's after three."  
  
Sirius answered him, groggily, "In the morning? Are you nuts? Go back to sleep!" He threw a pillow in the direction he thought Remus was, but it completely missed him.  
  
"Sirius Lee Black, get up! You said you wanted to get going by three!"  
  
Sitting up in bed, he rubbed his eyes. "Oh shit! I forgot!" He jumped out of bed and pulled a t-shirt over his head. "Why didn't you wake me up sooner?"  
  
"Um...I was trying," said Remus, "but you weren't making it very easy. "Okay, I got you some shampoo and toothpaste yesterday, you can take whatever food Buckbeak can carry, and I'll send more stuff when you need it. Here's some muggle money I had exchanged," he handed Sirius and envelope,"and send me an owl when you need more. What else do you need?"  
  
Sirius chuckled lightly, "Got a wand in your back pocket?" He thought how the ministry had destroyed his own wand when they threw him into Azkaban.  
  
Remus smiled, reached in his back pocket, and pulled out a dark mahogany wand. "Like...this one?"  
  
Sirius' eyes widened in shock. "I was joking! How'd you get it?"  
  
"Dumbledore. Just in case dementors show up on your doorstep." Remus handed Sirius the wand.  
  
Sirius took it from Remus and caressed it with his fingers. 'I never thought I'd get to hold a wand again!' he thought excitedly. He placed it securely inside his robes. "Thanks, Moony."   
  
"You should eat some breakfast before you go."  
  
"It's the middle of the night; I'm not hungry," protested Sirius.  
  
"It's a long ride, and you're not stopping at Taco Bell!" argued Remus, remembering how much Sirius liked the muggle fast food place.  
  
Grinning briefly at how well Remus knew him, Sirius followed him into the kitchen and sighed as Remus set a bowl of cereal in front of him. "Now I know why they call em serial killers."  
  
Remus rolled his eyes. "That's spelled s-e-r-i-a-l, not c-e-r-e-a-l."  
  
"Well, it's named after that, because people hate cereal so much they want to just kill whoever made it!" argued Sirius.  
  
Trying not to laugh, Remus poured milk onto the cereal. He never understood why Sirius hated cereal so much. "Shut your trap before I put my foot in it," he teased.  
  
"It's not a full moon, I can take you," Sirius responded as he reluctantly ate the cereal. "Honestly, why do people eat this? Why have..." he picked up the box and read the label, "Grape Nuts, when you could have a couple burritos?"  
  
"A burrito? For breakfast?"  
  
"Breakfast burritos, Moony. I love burritos."  
  
"Well, I'll send you some if you're a good boy," replied Remus, sarcastically.  
  
"I'll hold ya to it," said Sirius as he finished the cereal.  
  
They took his bags out the back door of Remus' house where a disillusioned Buckbeak was waiting.   
  
Remus helped him secure the bags on Buckbeak and then turned to the only best friend he had left. "Sirius, be careful. I don't want you chasing after some girl the second you get there, even if she's the most beautiful girl in the entire world, got it?"  
  
Sirius gave him an innocent look and Remus rolled his eyes. "I know you, Padfoot. That's the first thing you'd do and don't try to tell me different. But you have to stay out of sight for the first few days. I know the last thing you wanna do is stay cooped up in some house when you're right on the beach, but do it for Harry. You finally get the chance to be there for him, don't take any chances."  
  
Sirius smiled. "Are you done with your lecture, Professor Lupin?"  
  
Remus returned the smile. "Yes." He rapped Sirius hard over the head with his own wand to disillusion him.   
  
"That hurt," said Sirius, lifting a now almost transparent hand up to rub the top of his transparent head. "Alright, bye then."   
  
The two of them hugged like brothers. "I owe you, Moony," said Sirius, before pulling away.  
  
"I won't forget it. Send me an owl when you get there, alright?"  
  
"Will do," said Sirius as he bowed to Buckbeak and, after the hippogriff returned the bow, climbed on his back.  
  
Remus Lupin watched as Sirius flew away on Buckbeak into the clouds.  
  
A/N: DOES ANYONE KNOW HOW TO GET THINGS IN ITALICS OR BOLD OR UNDERLINED??? I HAVE NO CLUE. I'VE TRIED EVERYTHING I CAN THINK OF AND IT DOESN'T WORK FOR ME. I MOSTLY JUST NEED THE ITALICS, BUT IT WOULD BE NICE TO KNOW HOW TO DO EVERYTHING IN CASE I NEED IT IN THE FUTURE. HOPE YOU LIKED MY FIRST CHAPTER. IT'S KINDA JUST AN INTRO, SO IT'S A BIT SHORT. SORRY ABOUT THAT, THEY'LL BE LONGER EVENTUALLY. PLEASE REVIEW! IF I GET GOOD REVIEWS, I WRITE MUCH BETTER. 


	2. Night Prowler

"RENEGADE"  
  
A/N: THANX GUYS, I WASN'T SURE IF ANYONE WOULD LIKE THIS ONE COMPARED TO MY OTHER ONE, BUT I'M GLAD YOU DO! PLEASE KEEP REVIEWING! BY THE WAY, WHENEVER THERE IS "3333333" THOSE ARE SUPPOSED TO BE HEARTS, AND THEY'RE JUST WHAT I USE TO SEPARATE EITHER DIFFERENT SCENES OR DIFFERENT TIME FRAMES WITHIN THE STORY.  
  
Disclaimer: Sad to say, I don't own Sirius Black. If I did, I would NOT have killed off the closest thing Harry had to a father because poor Harry's been through enough bullshit already in his life!  
  
Random Thoughts: These are just like my little bit of inspiration or humor that I put at the beginning of every chapter I write. I don't know why, I just like to do it. They have nothing to do with the actual chapter.  
  
This chapter's random thought: "It isn't easy to keep your mouth and your mind open at the same time."  
  
Chapter 2 - Night Prowler  
  
"Did you notice we have new neighbors?" asked Jordan, sitting at the kitchen table, sipping her drink and gesturing to the house next door.  
  
"Neighbor. There's only one. He thinks no one noticed him move in at 6 am last weekend," replied Raven, throwing her long black hair over her shoulder and turning her gaze toward the house next to hers.  
  
"He hasn't shown his face for a week?" Jordan asked, disbelievingly. "You haven't seen him at all?"  
  
"I saw him the night he got here, but other than that, no. I see his dog often enough though."  
  
"His dog?"  
  
"He comes out at night, watches me swim. It gave me a scare the first night. I thought Rio was out," she said, gesturing to her own black gordon setter, Rio, who was curled up on the rug near the fireplace.  
  
"Well," Jordan looked at her watch, "I'll let you do your thing; it's almost nine. I don't want to be around if you forget to take your medicine!"  
  
"Don't worry, I'd give you a head start." Raven smiled and said goodbye to Jordan. She watched her return to her own house.   
  
Rio suddenly raised himself off the rug and growled at her, teeth bared. "Relax," she said to him as she quickly crossed to the kitchen and opened the fridge. She took long swig from a bottle and placed it back on the shelf, closing the door. Rio bounded up to her, sniffed her hand and then licked it. "You're forgiven."  
  
She felt a rush of energy and went into her bedroom to change into her bathing suit.  
  
333333333333333333  
  
Sirius was waiting for her to come down to the beach to swim. 'Where is she?' he thought. 'It's past nine o'clock.' He started thinking about what Remus had told him. 'Stay out of sight. Don't go chasing after some girl, I don't care if she's the most beautiful girl in the entire world.' There she was. 'Damn close,' he thought, looking at her. He watched as Raven walked slowly down through the sand, carrying her towel and one of those muggle boxes that produced music. He regretted having to change into his animagus form as she neared him.  
  
Raven spread out her towel and set the CD player on top of it. She turned on the music and waded into the water. Even as a dog, Sirius could barely keep his eyes on her in the water. He decided tonight was the night he would talk to her. He'd waited long enough. The people here, from what he could tell, were sort of out of touch with the real world anyway. Besides, she was a muggle, and muggles wouldn't know as much about his world. Remus' voice came back to him, but he pushed it out of his mind. 'I've been in Azkaban for twelve years,' he told the voice. 'Let me have a little female contact, and then I'll be good.' The big black dog trotted into the water quietly and dove under. Emerging as a man, Sirius started to make his way over to Raven. He lifted his shirt quietly over his head and left it behind him.  
  
She was singing along with the music while doing some sort of movements he didn't recognize. He stopped for a second to listen to the lyrics of the song.   
  
"I'm over it. You see, I'm falling in the vast abyss. Clouded by memories of the past. At last, I see. I hear it fading. I can't speak it, or else you will dig my grave. You feel them finding, always whining. Take my hand now be alive. You see, I cannot be forsaken, because I'm not the only one. We walk amongst you feeding, raping. Must we hide from everyone?"  
  
Raven suddenly froze as she saw the man standing before her.   
  
Sirius was lost in the lyrics. 'What the heck does that mean?' he thought to himself.  
  
She smiled slightly at his dazed look and then cleared her throat.  
  
Shaking his head to clear his mind, he turned to look at her and smiled. "Hi. Nice night for a swim?"  
  
"I thought so," she replied, looking him over. "So this is my new neighbor? And I half expected you to be terribly deformed or something even worse."  
  
Sirius laughed. "Because I haven't come over to say hello?"  
  
"No, you just have your dog watch my every move."  
  
"Oh yeah, sorry about that. Padfoot's terribly nosy. I'm...Remus." 'Shit, did that sound fake?' he thought.  
  
'Does it normally take someone that long to remember their name?' she thought to herself. She pushed it to the back of her mind. 'What does it matter? He's cute.' She held out her hand to shake his. "Raven. Nice to finally meet you."  
  
"Likewise. I wasn't trying to ignore you or anything. I was just...getting myself settled in, ya know?"  
  
"Actually, I don't think I remember. I've lived here for a pretty long time."  
  
"Really? I thought this was mainly a tourist attraction.'  
  
"Or a hideout," added Raven. "Lots of people come to just get away from things."  
  
'Which would be why I'm here,' thought Sirius as she continued.  
  
"Jordan and I are the only ones I know of that live here permanently. Jordan's the house on the other side of mine."  
  
Sirius nodded his head. "Is she a night owl, too?"  
  
"Jordan? No, she thinks I'm crazy for coming out here every night to practice my moves."  
  
"And what moves would those be?"  
  
"San Chin Ryu. It's kinda like karate. I learned it when I was little and now it's really relaxing," she explained.  
  
"Do you hafta do it in the water?"  
  
"Oh, no, it's just that you get better resistance in the water so you get used to it, and it makes you move a lot faster when you don't have the water against you in a real situation."  
  
"And just when would you be in a real situation like that around here?"  
  
"I'm not saying that. It's just something I like to do," answered Raven. "So why did you come here?"  
  
Sirius shrugged his shoulders. "Just felt like a vacation."  
  
Raven rose her eyebrows at him. "Right...Well, I'm tired." She started to wade in and then turned back to him. "Will I see you around, or is this your one hour outside for the month of June?"  
  
Sirius chuckled. "Sadly, it is. But my hour's not up yet," he hinted.  
  
"Why do I feel like you just invited yourself in?" she asked as she picked up her CD player and threw her towel around her.  
  
Sirius gave her a sexy smile. "Because I just did."  
  
Raven jerked her head towards her house and Sirius followed her up the beach. She opened the screen door for him, but then threw her arm across his chest to hold him back. "Let me get you a towel first."  
  
He stood there shivering while she disappeared down the hall and came back with a towel. He draped it around himself and stepped in the house, surveying it with his eyes. "This is nice," he said as his eyes ran across a large muggle television, a coffe table, and a couch. They drifted further, down a hallway, probably leading to her bedroom and bathroom on the left. On the right side was the kitchen and dining room, with a door leading out of the kitchen and into her backyard.  
  
"Thanks." She shivered as she saw him in proper lighting for the first time. 'He's quite good looking. The only thing he's missing is maybe a few pounds.' She fought the blush that was threatening to give her away as her eyes met his. He was watching her, too.  
  
He smiled slightly and turned to look at some muggle movies that were neatly arranged on a shelf next to the TV.  
  
"Well...I'm hungry. How about you go put on some dry clothes, and I'll make some food, and then we can watch a movie?"  
  
Although Remus was telling him not to, Sirius nodded his head and smiled.  
  
"What do you want then?"  
  
"You have no idea how long I've been craving burritos."  
  
A/N: HOW'D YOU LIKE IT? THERE'S SOMETHING TO THE SONG, THAT'S WHY I PUT IT IN THERE. IT'S CALLED "FORSAKEN" BY DAVE DRAIMAN. ANYWAYS, HOPE YOU LIKED THE CHAPTER, PLEASE REVIEW! 


	3. Be Careful, Padfoot!

"RENEGADE"  
  
A/N: FOR SOME REASON FANFICTION.NET STOPPED EMAILING MY REVIEWS TO ME...ANYONE KNOW WHAT'S UP WITH THAT? I CAN'T EVEN SEE THEN ON MY REVIEW PAGE. THE NUMBER OF REVIEWS KEEPS GOING UP, BUT THEY DON'T SHOW UP ON MY REVIEW PAGE, AND THEY AREN'T BEING SENT TO ME...IT'S KINDA PISSING ME OFF THAT I CAN'T READ THEM. IF THIS IS HAPPENING TO ANYONE ELSE AND YOU KNOW WHAT THE HELL'S GOIN ON, IM OR EMAIL ME, K? (VulpixRaven@aol.com) HOPE YOU LIKE THE CHAPTER AND KEEP REVIEWING EVEN IF I CAN'T READ THEM RIGHT AWAY, OKAY? LAST TIME I UPDATED, THE SAME THING HAPPENED AND I GOT THEM A FEW DAYS LATER, SO EVENTUALLY I'LL GET THEM.  
  
Disclaimer: Sad to say, I don't own Sirius Black. If I did, I would NOT have killed off the closest thing Harry had to a father because poor Harry's been through enough bullshit already in his life!  
  
Random Thoughts: These are just like my little bit of inspiration or humor that I put at the beginning of every chapter I write. I don't know why, I just like to do it. They have nothing to do with the actual chapter.  
  
This chapter's random thought: "What is the source of all this pain that you've been dishin? Could they be lies that maybe you've been fed? Consider well the kind of stream where you've been fishin. I'm like a book that is waiting to be read."  
  
Chapter 3 - Be careful, Padfoot!  
  
"Raven Elizabeth McKinnon! You had dinner with this man?" questioned Jordan, on the edge of her seat.  
  
"Well, I made burritos and he ate em, if that's what you mean," replied Raven nonchalantly.  
  
"He could be a mass murderer for all you know!"  
  
"Jordi, if you saw him, you wouldn't be saying that."  
  
"Just because he's cute doesn't mean he's not dangerous! Why else is he here, then, and why does he keep cooped up in that house all day long?" asked Jordan, narrowing her eyes on her best friend.  
  
"His eyes are just so...magnetic. He was...nice. That's all I'm saying, Jordiana. I'm not saying I want to marry the man, for crying out loud! I'm not even saying I wanna sleep with him!"  
  
Jordan burst into a fit of giggles. "Well, who said anything about that?  
  
Raven smiled widely. "I know that's what you were thinking.  
  
"Maybe it's what you were thinking."  
  
Raven pursed her lips. "I was not." She got up from the couch in the middle of Jordan's living room. "I have to go."  
  
"Expecting company?" Jordan winked.  
  
Raven turned around, grabbed a pillow from the couch and threw it in Jordan's face. "Come by and meet him if you want."  
  
"I think I'll leave you two alone."  
  
33333333333333333333333  
  
"Uh-oh, back for more cereal?" Remus asked with an amused look from the kitchen table.  
  
Sirius smiled forcefully and rolled his eyes, sitting next to Remus at the table. "Sorry I made you worry like that. You told me to send an owl as soon as I got there, but you forgot one thing: I didn't have one. And I couldn't very well have gone out and gotten one."  
  
"Yes, I realized that after you left. That's why I sent you one so you could send a message back. I wouldn't apparate here, though, unless you really need to, Sirius. The wrong person could be here; you don't want to take that chance."  
  
"What other best friends have you got left?" asked Sirius bitterly. He instantly regretted it, and Remus noticed his eyes soften.  
  
"Good point," Remus smiled weakly.  
  
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that."  
  
Remus reached over and put a hand on Sirius' shoulder. "So...you need anything while you're here?"  
  
"Not yet, I don't think."  
  
Remus nodded and took a spoonful of his cereal. "So, are you staying out of sight?"  
  
Sirius shrugged. "Pretty much."  
  
"Padfoot," Remus scolded, "what does that mean?"  
  
"Pretty much means pretty much! I went out as a dog a few times, and," he lowered his voice, "I talked to a girl, but--"  
  
"WHAT?" interrupted Remus. "God dammit, Sirius! I told you! Do you honestly want to get caught? I don't think Harry would be able to--"  
  
"I just talked to her; that's it! I couldn't help it, Moony! I can't stay locked up in a house all by myself! I just want to get out and do at least some of the things I've been missing for the past thirteen years!"  
  
"And you will!...but not yet. You have to lay low. Once we catch the rat, we'll be able to prove that you're innocent."  
  
"Moony, wake up! We're never going to catch him again! We're lucky we caught him the first time! Chances are, the stinking rodent's already out of the country! How do you find a rat free to roam wherever he wants? Do you have a Marauder's map for the entire world?" Remus just sat in silence, listening to Sirius pour out all his frustration. "Cuz I sure as hell don't!" Sirius got up from the table and started to pace the kitchen.  
  
Harry suddenly emerged from the fireplace in the next room and followed the sound of his godfather's angry voice to the kitchen. He poked his head through the doorframe. "Er..."  
  
Sirius saw Harry and suddenly his face brightened. "Harry! I didn't know you'd be here."  
  
"Professor Lupin told me you were coming, so I thought I'd stop by if I could. The muggles are still asleep."  
  
"Professor Lupin, huh? Well, I'm glad you did." Sirius gave Harry a quick one-armed hug.  
  
(A/N: IT ALWAYS BOTHERED ME THAT SIRIUS AND HARRY WEREN'T PHYSICALLY MORE AFFECTIONATE IN THE BOOKS, BUT IT'S NONE OF MY NEVERMIND. I DON'T SAY A WORD.)  
  
"How are you?" Harry asked.  
  
"I'm not bad, Harry. How are you holding up at your aunt and uncle's?"  
  
Harry gave a little laugh. "It hasn't been too bad. Mostly cuz they're scared to death you'll come and murder them in their sleep if I ask you to."  
  
Sirius chuckled, lowered his voice to a whisper, and winked at Harry. "Just say the word."  
  
Harry smiled back. "Hello, Profess...I mean...Remus."  
  
Remus nodded his head. "Hello, Harry. The fireplace work okay?"  
  
"Yes, thank you for having it connected."  
  
"It's only temporary. Just thought if you needed an escape."  
  
"Thanks."  
  
(A/N: IT ALSO BOTHERS ME THAT HARRY AND REMUS ARE SO DISTANT ACTING. AFTER ALL, MOONY WAS JAMES' BEST FRIEND, TOO! I HOPE I'M NOT BUTCHERING HARRY TOO BADLY.)  
  
"Oh, I promised Hermione I'd ask about Buckbeak the next time I heard from you," said Harry.  
  
"He's fine. He likes my basement. It's nice and cold down there."  
  
"Good, I'll tell Hermione you lost him," said Harry, smiling at the thought of her reaction.  
  
The three of them froze as they heard a noise outside...There it was again...Sirius met eyes with Remus.  
  
"Go," Remus mouthed.  
  
Sirius waved a goodbye to Harry and Remus and disapparated.  
  
333333333333333333333333  
  
An owl swooped through Sirius' window. It was written in Remus' handwriting.   
  
Sirius read:  
  
Everything's fine. It was Mundungus. Don't come back. I'll talk to you sometime next week.  
  
Moony  
  
Sirius rolled his eyes. He went to the window and saw that Raven was up. 'Wonder if I can get her to make me breakfast,' he thought.  
  
A/N: GUESS WHAT? I'M ON SPRING BREAK THIS WEEK - ALTHOUGH IT'S HARDLY SPRING - SO I'M HOPING TO GET A LOT OF WRITING DONE. IF YOU WANT TO MAKE ME HAPPY SO I WRITE MORE, SEND ME SOME REVIEWS! HOPE YOU LIKED THE CHAPTER. 


	4. Back In Black

"RENEGADE"  
  
A/N: I'M THINKING MAYBE FANFICTION.NET IS ALMOST BACK TO NORMAL HERE. I'M GETTING MY REVIEWS ON A REGULAR BASIS, I THINK. KEEP THEM COMING PLEASE. YOU GUYS ARE WONDERFUL!  
  
Disclaimer: Sad to say, I don't own Sirius Black. If I did, I would NOT have killed off the closest thing Harry had to a father because poor Harry's been through enough bullshit already in his life!  
  
Song: There's a song in this chapter. It's "Back in Black" by AC/DC. It's one of my "Sirius Songs" on my "Sirius Soundtrack." (They're just a whole bunch of songs that remind me of Sirius in some way. My AOL website has them all with lyrics and a picture of Sirius if you want to check it out. It also has a whole bunch of funny parody songs. For example, "Hakuna Matata" becomes "Avada Kedavra" sung by Harry & Ron and The Marauders do "Prowlin" from Grease 2. I also have a bunch of actors who I think should have been chosen to play Sirius in the 3rd movie. If you want to see it, click on my pen name at the top and then it'll give you the website.)  
  
Random Thoughts: These are just like my little bit of inspiration or humor that I put at the beginning of every chapter I write. I don't know why, I just like to do it. They have nothing to do with the actual chapter.  
  
This chapter's random thought: "Girls have a button and boys have a pole, and wicked touching takes its toll!" ~Superstar  
  
Chapter 4 - Back In Black  
  
Raven sang along to her CD player while she washed the dishes. "Back in black, I hit the sack. I've been too long, I'm glad to be back. Yes, I'm let loose from the noose that's kept me hangin about. I've been lookin at the sky cuz it's gettin me high. Forget the hearse cuz I'll never die! I got nine lives, cat's eyes. Abusin every one of them and runnin wild! Cuz I'm back. Yes, I'm back. Well, I'm back. Yes, I'm back. Well, I'm baaaaack, baaaaack. Well, I'm back in black. Yes, I'm back in black!"  
  
Sirius tried to keep from laughing. He'd always loved this song, not only because it had his name in it, but because he'd been somewhat of a badass in his schooldays. He thought briefly of James, his partner in crime. 'No, bad idea, Sirius,' he told himself. He'd discovered new meaning in the song after he escaped from Azkaban and heard it again. As the next verse came around Sirius opened the door and started singing loudly. Raven turned around and almost dropped the plate she was holding. She laughed and sang along with him.  
  
"Back in the back of a cadillac. Number one with a bullet, I'm a power back. Yes, I'm in a bang, with a gang. They've got to catch me if they want me to hang. Cuz I'm back on the track and I'm beatin the flack! Nobody's gonna get me on another rap. So look at me now, I'm just makin my play. Don't try to push your luck, just get out of my way!"  
  
The song ended and Raven and Sirius fell on the couch, laughing. "Isn't it a little early for AC/DC?" asked Sirius.  
  
"I can't believe you! You were spying on me? How long were you there?"  
  
"Long enough," he said, giving her a sexy smile.  
  
Raven covered her face with her hands. "Oh God. I can't believe you saw that!"  
  
"Actually, I think that's my favorite thing about you so far."  
  
Raven laughed.  
  
"AC/DC, one of my favorites."  
  
"Me too. My cousin used to make me listen to them when I was little, and I hated it. But then I grew up and bought all their CDs."  
  
"Your cousin?"  
  
"Yeah, my one and only. Josh."  
  
"You have one cousin????" screeched Sirius. "I wish I only had one cousin! My family was huge!"  
  
"You say that like it's a bad thing! I don't have any family left!"  
  
Sirius' face fell. "What happened to them?"  
  
"Oh," Raven shifted uncomfortably, "they...my parents died. I'm an only child." She shrugged.  
  
"I'm sorry."  
  
Raven smiled weakly. "It's okay. It was a long time ago. I was nineteen."  
  
Sirius rose his eyebrows. "And...you're what, now? Twenty? Twenty-one?"  
  
Raven opened her mouth and then closed it. "I'm twenty-five."  
  
"Twenty-five?" Sirius looked at her. He didn't even think she looked twenty. "Okay..."  
  
"Why? How old are you?" asked Raven, trying to get him to stop looking at her.  
  
Sirius stopped. "I don't know." He looked at the ceiling, doing the math. "Thirty-one."  
  
Raven rose her eyebrows now at him. "You forgot how old you are?"  
  
"Well, I haven't really thought about it in a long time," he justified.  
  
"Alrighty then."  
  
He laughed. "So, what about Josh?"  
  
"What *about* Josh? He's my cousin. He lives in Scotland--"  
  
"Really? I went to school in Scotland."  
  
"--with his wife." Raven rolled her eyes.  
  
"I take it you don't like his wife?"  
  
"No, she's a bitch. I hate her."  
  
Sirius nodded his head. "That sounds more like how I felt about my family."  
  
"How come?"  
  
"I don't know...we just...had different beliefs, I guess."  
  
"What different beliefs?"  
  
Sirius got up quickly from the couch and started to pace the room uncomfortably. Too many questions. "Oh, I don't know. We just never agreed on anything."  
  
"Want some coffee? You're a little jumpy there."  
  
Sirius chuckled. "Sure, thanks."  
  
Raven got up to get him a cup. She handed it to him and he took a sip.  
  
As he drank it his eyes closed and then he stared at her. "This is the best coffee I've ever tasted!"  
  
"Oh, it's mixed with one part hot cocoa. I forgot to tell you."  
  
"It's...amazing! My friend, Remus, he tries to make coffee, and I swear, he's the worst cook in the entire world!"  
  
Raven furrowed her brows. "You have a best friend with the same name as you?"  
  
"Huh?" As Sirius rose the cup to his lips again, he froze. 'Oh shit. I told her *my* name was Remus.'  
  
"Or were you referring to yourself in the third person?" Raven narrowed her eyes on him.  
  
"I...uh..." Sirius stuttered. "Yeah, no that's how we became best friends because we had the same name."  
  
Raven took his cup, quietly walked to the kitchen, and opened the back door. "Either tell me your real name or leave. I don't like being played with."  
  
Sirius stared at her in amazement. He must be losing his touch. Crossing to the kitchen, he took his cup from her hands and filled it to the brim. Then he went back to the door, took Raven's hand and led her back to the couch. The door slammed as Raven was taken away from it. Sirius sat and pulled her down next to him. He took a long drink and then set the cup on the coffee table. He took her hand in his again and looked deep into her blue eyes.  
  
"You can call me Sirius, if you like."  
  
"I'd like to call you by your real name."  
  
"Then call me Sirius."  
  
"That name's kind of ironic, isn't it? I mean, you've been lying to me since I met you yesterday, right?"  
  
"S-I-R-I-U-S," he spelled it. "And I haven't been lying to you. I just can't talk about a lot of things."  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"You said it yourself. People use this place as a hideout. I just don't want anyone to find me, that's all."  
  
Raven spoke through gritted teeth. "Why not?"  
  
"Because they think I did something that I didn't do!" he said forcefully. Then he spoke softly, more to himself. "And Harry needs me."  
  
"Who?"  
  
"My...my godson. He needs me. And I have to be there for him." He then realized that he had been squeezing her hand and let it go. "I shouldn't even be telling you this. I just...I needed someone to talk to, ya know? You seemed like the kind of person who could understand."  
  
Raven slowly nodded. Somehow the way he'd held her hand like that had made her want to believe him. "So...you're in trouble?"  
  
Sirius smiled weakly. "I can't tell you any more, so I'll leave now. Thanks for the coffee." He downed the rest of his cup and left.  
  
A/N: I KNOW YOU'RE PROBABLY THINKING WHY IS SIRIUS TELLING RAVEN SO MUCH. I'M THINKING THE SAME THING. I DON'T KNOW, I JUST HAD TO GET THEM TO FIND OUT A LITTLE BIT ABOUT EACH OTHER. BESIDES, WE BOTH KNOW SHE'S NOT GONNA TURN HIM IN AND SHE STILL HAS NO IDEA WHO HE REALLY IS. 


	5. Mr Black and Mrs White?

"RENEGADE"  
  
A/N: I'VE BEEN HAVING COMPUTER PROBLEMS, SO I'M SORRY THIS HASN'T BEEN OUT SOONER. NOW MY COMPUTER'S BACK, BUT FOR SOME REASON I CAN'T GET ON AOL OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT. I CAN STILL GET MY REVIEWS FROM MY REVIEW PAGE, SO KEEP THEM COMING. IF YOU GET AN EMAIL FROM "PADFOOTRAVEN@YAHOO" (I TRY TO RESPOND TO REVIEWS THAT ASK QUESTIONS OR THAT I REALLY LIKE) IT'S ME. I HAD TO MAKE A YAHOO ACCOUNT BECAUSE AOL'S BEING WEIRD OR SOMETHING. I CAN'T EVEN CHECK IT FROM THE AOL WEBSITE. ANYWAYS, HOPE YOU LIKE THE CHAPTER. I'M GLAD IT'S FINALLY DONE.   
  
Disclaimer: Sad to say, I don't own Sirius Black. If I did, I would NOT have killed off the closest thing Harry had to a father because poor Harry's been through enough bullshit already in his life!  
  
Random Thoughts: These are just like my little bit of inspiration or humor that I put at the beginning of every chapter I write. I don't know why, I just like to do it. They have nothing to do with the actual chapter.  
  
This chapter's random thought: "Ya might be a redneck if...ya think 'loadin the dishwasher' means gettin yer wife drunk."  
  
Chapter 5 - Mr. Black and Mrs. White?  
  
Although he hadn't seen Raven in two days, he was still thinking about her. Sirius mostly slept, something he'd not done well in a long time. He'd lie in bed thinking about what he said to her. 'Maybe I shouldn't have told her all that,' he thought. 'I thought maybe she'd understand.' He smiled as he thought of her singing along to "Back In Black." 'We have a lot in common, I think. Other than the fact that I'm an escaped convict, and she's not. Well, and I'm a wizard, and she's not. And what's up with her? I swear, she doesn't look twenty-five. Does she want me to think she's older cuz she likes me? Or maybe she's hiding something, too. She said most people come here to hide from things. What if she meant herself?'  
  
Raven had been the same way. She went over to Jordan's and tried to pretend Sirius wasn't next door. But she couldn't do it. 'There's something about him I just can't understand. If he's on the run, why would he tell me all that stuff? ...Gotta tell somebody I guess. But still, he trusted me with it, and now I'm leaving him all alone in it. I just don't know what to say. I know he doesn't want to tell me anything more. I don't want to ask the wrong questions. Besides, if I ask him questions, he'll think he can ask me questions. Of course, I know what to say, but I feel bad lying to him now.' She laughed inwardly. 'Nineteen. Of course I look nineteen, that's how old I am, right? Not technically. God, I hate this!'   
  
She glanced at the clock on the TV and walked into the kitchen to take her medicine. She hesitated, but slipped on her shoes and stepped out the door. Bounding up to the door and pressing his nose against the screen, Rio gave a loud bark.  
  
Raven turned around and stepped back in the house. "Oh, alright, you can come." Rio jumped up on the wall next to the door and pulled down his leash that was hanging on a hook. Raven smiled and clipped the leash to his collar. She followed Rio onto Sirius' front porch and knocked. Her eyes widened as she peered through the screen and saw Sirius coming towards her without his shirt on. She took a deep breath as he opened the door and smiled at her.  
  
"Miss me?"  
  
Raven couldn't help smiling back. "Not really. Rio dragged me over here. Care to go for a walk with us?"  
  
"Sure." He stepped out the door and started walking down the steps.  
  
"Um..."  
  
He turned back around.  
  
"Aren't you gonna put something on first?" she asked, holding back the blush that was threatening to creep up on her cheeks.  
  
Sirius looked down at himself. "Oh shit." He went back into the house and came out a few seconds later with a t-shirt on.  
  
'Honestly, how could you not know that you're not wearing a shirt?' thought Raven to herself. "Isn't Padfoot coming?"  
  
Sirius' eyes widened. "Uh...no, he's out somewhere."  
  
Raven rolled her eyes as they started to walk along the beach. "If I let Rio out for more than a half hour by himself, he gets lost."  
  
Sirius laughed. "Well, Padfoot's very independent."  
  
Raven nodded. "So...where are we?"  
  
"Um, what?"  
  
"Are we friends?"  
  
"You tell me."  
  
"Well...if we set up a kind of 'no questions' rule between us, can we be friends?" asked Raven.  
  
"Does that mean you have something to hide, too?"  
  
Raven stopped walking and gave him a questioning stare. "Was that a question?"  
  
Sirius opened his mouth and then closed it again. "...No. I'll rephrase: I think you're hiding something from me, too."  
  
"What am I hiding then?"  
  
"I don't know!"  
  
"Good." She smiled at him.  
  
"Raven is your real name, though, right?"  
  
Raven laughed. "Yes."  
  
"Good, I like Raven."  
  
"Well thanks, Sirius."  
  
Sirius nodded in response. "No questions? I find it hard not to ask questions. How can you not ask questions?"  
  
"Well, no questions about...the past?" explained Raven.  
  
"Oh, I see. But how are we going to get to know each other if we can't ask any questions?"  
  
"Well..." Raven thought for a minute, "there's plenty of questions we can ask each other."  
  
"Like...what's your favorite AC/DC song of all time?" Sirius turned sideways to look at Raven as they walked along.  
  
Raven smiled. "'Night Prowler'."  
  
"Really?"  
  
"It cracks me up. What's yours?"  
  
"Big Balls," said Sirius, almost too quickly.  
  
(A/N: IF YOU'VE NEVER HEARD "BIG BALLS" BY AC/DC, DOWNLOAD IT OR SOMETHING. IT'S HILARIOUS! IT'S ACTUALLY TALKING ABOUT BALLS LIKE THE ONE CINDERELLA GOES TO, BUT THAT'S WHAT MAKES IT SO FUNNY.)  
  
Raven groaned and rolled her eyes.  
  
"I'm kidding. Definitely 'Back In Black'."  
  
"How come?"  
  
Sirius shrugged. "It's got my name in it."  
  
Raven froze. "Black?"  
  
Sirius realized he'd just told her his last name. "God dammit!"  
  
Raven laughed. "Is this you not telling me anything about yourself? Because you suck at it."  
  
"I think I need to work on my mystique," said Sirius monotonously, shaking his head at himself.  
  
"Maybe just a little bit."  
  
"So...ring any bells?" asked Sirius, cringing a bit at the thought of her suddenly screaming at him, 'Sirius Black?! The escaped convict, Sirius Black?!' He knew very well they'd even given his picture to the muggle policemen when he first escaped because they thought he was so dangerous.  
  
"Black? Sirius Black..." Raven looked upward, as though manually searching through her brain for something. "Nope. Sorry."  
  
Sirius furrowed his brows as he watched her. "No? You've gotta be shittin me!"  
  
Raven shook her head. "I shit you not. I don't get a paper and I don't even have TV channels. I just watch movies. Once in awhile I'll get a letter from Josh telling me basic things, but it's been about five years since I've heard anything big."  
  
"But still, how can you not know anything that's happened recently in the world?"  
  
"I don't want to know. I have my reasons."  
  
"Is that your way of telling me that's from your past and you're not going to say anything?"  
  
"Yup," Raven smiled innocently. "So, Sirius Black...you're not like a rock star or anything, are you?"  
  
Sirius smiled widely. "Maybe..." he thought about it for a minute. "Nah, nothing like that."  
  
"Too bad."  
  
"So, what's your last name?"  
  
Raven shook her head. "No, no, no. No one forced it out of you. You told me of your own free will. I don't hafta tell you mine just because you let yours slip."  
  
"Alright then, I guess we can't be friends," tempted Sirius.  
  
Raven rose her eyebrows. "Oh, so that's how it's gonna be, huh? Fine, if that's the way you want it." She started to walk away and Sirius hurried after her, taking her arm and spinning her to face him.  
  
"Tell me your middle name and we'll call it even," he said. Raven surveyed him skeptically. "I'll even tell you my middle name: Lee."  
  
Raven tried not to smile. "Sirius Lee? Seriously?"  
  
"Afraid so," said Sirius.  
  
"I like it." She smiled, kicked off her sandals and took a few steps onto the wet sand. A wave crashed onto the beach and the water ran across her feet.  
  
Sirius was already barefoot and hurried out after her. "And where do you think you're going? You haven't told me your middle name yet. Come back here. Raven..."  
  
"Elizabeth."  
  
"Raven Elizabeth...It just doesn't sound right without your last name."  
  
"So make one up," she said, continuing to walk along the wet sand.  
  
"Okay," responded Sirius. "White."  
  
"White?" asked Raven, looking at Sirius incredulously.  
  
"Yeah, I'm Black, you can be White."  
  
"Are you saying we're opposites?"  
  
"No. Fine, what's your favorite color?"  
  
Raven laughed. "You know, not all people's last name's are colors."  
  
"You're joking!" screeched Sirius in mock surprize.  
  
"Well, I guess I don't really know about *everyone* else, but mine isn't."  
  
"Oh now we're getting somewhere!" said Sirius, slyly, turning in front of her, walking backwards, and looking into her eyes. "Guessing your last name will be easy now that I know it's not a color."  
  
"Just don't call me White. It's too much like Clue."  
  
"Clue?"  
  
"Mrs. White, ya know, from the board game, Clue."  
  
"Ohhhhh, right. Wait, are you married?"  
  
Raven snorted. "Me? Oh no."  
  
"Well what's that supposed to mean? You could be married, I don't know."  
  
"No, I'm not married. Who could I possibly be married to around here?"  
  
"Good point. I guess you just haven't found Mr. *White* yet," teased Sirius.  
  
Raven giggled. "Mr. Right, or Mr. White?"  
  
"Well, in your case it would be Mr. White."  
  
"You do know that the woman changes her name to the man's last name when she gets married, right?"  
  
"I wouldn't know," shrugged Sirius. "I've never been married."  
  
She started to giggle again. "Are you always this funny, Sirius Black?"  
  
"Not lately with all the shit that's happened to me. Maybe it's just you."  
  
Raven smiled at him.  
  
Friends?" Sirius held out his hand to her for the second time.  
  
She shook it. "Friends."  
  
A/N: I THINK THIS IS MY FAVORITE CHAPTER SO FAR AND I DON'T REALLY KNOW WHY. THEY'RE GETTING TO KNOW EACH OTHER, AT LEAST, RIGHT? I LIKE HOW IT TURNED OUT. HOPE YOU LIKE IT, TOO. PLEASE SEND ME SOME REVIEWS! 


	6. The Count

"RENEGADE"  
  
A/N: HI, THANX FOR THE REVIEWS. YOU GUYS ARE GREAT! I'M WORKING ON A NEW FANFIC THAT WILL HAVE THE MARAUDERS IN IT. I'LL LET YOU KNOW WHEN I GET THE FIRST CHAPTER UP. HOPE YOU LIKE THIS ONE.  
  
Disclaimer: Sad to say, I don't own Sirius Black. If I did, I would NOT have killed off the closest thing Harry had to a father because poor Harry's been through enough bullshit already in his life!  
  
Random Thoughts: These are just like my little bit of inspiration or humor that I put at the beginning of every chapter I write. I don't know why, I just like to do it. They have nothing to do with the actual chapter.  
  
This chapter's random thought is one of my favorite paragraphs in Order of the Phoenix: "Harry looked over his shoulder yet again and, to his delight, that Snape had settled himself on the grass in the dense shadows of a clump of bushes. He was as deeply immersed in the O.W.L. paper as ever, WHICH LEFT HARRY FREE TO SIT DOWN ON THE GRASS BETWEEN THE BEECH AND BUSHES AND WATCH THE FOURSOME UNDER THE TREE." ~JK Rowling, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Chapter 26, page 644 (American version). By "the foursome" Ms. Rowling obviously means Sirius, James, Remus, and Peter, but couldn't she have just said that? I swear, that book is downright pornographic when out of context!  
  
Chapter 6 - The Count  
  
Over the next week, Sirius spent most of his time at Raven's. They watched movies, listened to music, read books, and just talked. Strangely enough to Raven, Sirius had never seen any of the movies she had and knew next to nothing about music, other than he liked AC/DC.  
  
Raven came out of the bathroom with her hair dripping wet and a towel around her body to find Sirius bent over her DVD collection, picking out yet another movie for the two of them to watch. She smiled as he pulled one from the row and examined the back.   
  
"Ahem."  
  
Sirius did three things at once: he jumped from hearing her voice, spun around quickly, and, after seeing that Raven was wet and wearing only a towel, dropped the DVD onto the floor.  
  
Raven snickered. "Caught ya. Trying to steal one of my favorite movies?"  
  
"Uh..." Sirius' mind had gone blank. He shook his head and tried to concentrate on the movie at his feet. "Er...no, sorry. Just thought we'd watch another tonight." He smiled slightly and chanced another look at her. "You got a hot date or something?"  
  
Raven giggled. "Are you implying that I normally don't take a shower unless I wanna impress a guy?"  
  
"Well no!"  
  
"You're the one who barged into my house without an invitation! What, was I supposed to know you'd be standing in the middle of my living room when I got out of the shower?  
  
Sirius laughed and relaxed a little bit. She had a way of making any situation, however awkward or embarrassing, a comfortable one. "You're an impossible woman to argue with, did you know that?"  
  
Raven nodded her head and smiled innocently. "I'm gonna go get dressed now. Why don't you make me some food."  
  
"You forget, I almost burned down your kitchen two nights ago," he said as she disappeared into her bedroom. He hadn't had much practice cooking in the last 13 years, not to mention without the use of his wand.  
  
"I didn't forget, I was simply reminding *you*," she said, raising her voice to carry through her bedroom door.  
  
"Yeah, well just for the record you don't hafta take a shower to impress me," he called. "You already do," he added to himself as he picked up the DVD from the floor and put it into her DVD player. "How do you turn this thing on again?"  
  
"You worry me sometimes," she said from right behind him.  
  
Sirius didn't turn around. "You're not naked, are you?"  
  
"You think I'm that easy?" She reached in front of him and switched on the TV.  
  
"Would you rather watch Girls Gone Wild? I've got that over at my house," teased Sirius.  
  
Raven laughed and hit him playfully across the chest. "I may be easy, but I'm not sleazy!"  
  
Sirius let out one sharp, "Ha!...No, I know you aren't. I was kidding, I don't really have Girls Gone Wild at my house..."  
  
"I'm glad."  
  
"...I lent it to my friend, Remus," he continued, joking.  
  
"Alright, I didn't need to know that. That was an overshare."  
  
"I'm shitting you, okay? Jesus. Can we watch this?" He held up The Count of Monte Cristo. "What's it about?"  
  
Raven smiled. "Um, a guy gets sent to prison by his best friend and then he escapes and takes his revenge."  
  
Sirius' eyes widened in shock. "Are you serious?"  
  
"I thought *you* were Sirius," Raven responded.  
  
Sirius made a face at her and rolled his eyes. "Sounds like a goodie." He laid on the sofa and crossed his legs, putting his arms behind his head and taking up the entire couch. "Alright, start it up." He thought to himself, 'I'll take notes.'  
  
"Typical male," Raven muttered under her breath as she started the movie.  
  
"Oh, I'm sorry, Raven," Sirius said as he sat up and patted the couch space next to him. "Come sit next to Papa."  
  
Raven's mouth dropped open as she promptly seized a pillow and threw it in Sirius' face. "You get weirder every day I'm with you, you know that?" She sat next to him.  
  
Sirius put his arm around her and slid her down next to him. "You say that like it's a bad thing."  
  
Raven was surprized both of his strength and of being this close to him. She shivered slightly as she looked into his eyes. 'If we kissed, would it ruin everything?' she thought.  
  
Sirius looked away quickly. "Did I miss something already? What's happening?"  
  
Raven snapped out of it. "Oh, yeah the beginning's a little confusing. Here, we'll start over." She skipped back to the previous scene. "See, that's Edmond Dantes and the other guy is his so-called best friend, Fernand Mondego. Their captain has brain fever and they went ashore to Elba for help and they're getting chased by the French dragoons because they think they're some of Napoleon Bonaparte's agents sent to help him escape the island."  
  
"How many times have you seen this movie?" asked Sirius as she rattled on.  
  
"Um, only a few...hundred." She smiled.  
  
"Wow."  
  
They continued watching the movie and soon Sirius was completely engrossed in it. He kept overreacting to everything that happened in the movie because it so closely resembled what had happened to him and Raven was laughing at him.  
  
"You're really into this, aren't you?" she said, with an amused smirk on her face.  
  
"This is outrageous! That guy just wants Edmond's girlfriend!"  
  
"Ya think?" said Raven, sarcastically, trying to hold in her laughter.  
  
"How long is he in prison for?"  
  
"Thirteen years."  
  
"Thirteen???" Sirius was amazed. He'd been in for twelve before he escaped. "And he escapes?"  
  
"You wanna watch the rest of it, or do you want me to tell you the ending, too?"  
  
He smiled as Raven went to make some popcorn.   
  
(A/N: IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO, AND YOU LOVE PRISONER OF AZKABAN, GO RENT IT RIGHT NOW!!!!!!! IT'S ONE OF MY FAVORITE MOVIES OF ALL TIME AND IT REALLY RESEMBLES PADFOOT'S SITUATION. WELL, I SHOULD SAY PADFOOT'S SITUATION RESEMBLES THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO. BUT GO RENT THE MOVIE AND THEN READ THE BOOK. YOU'LL THANK ME, I SWEAR! IT HAS JIM CAVIEZEL IN IT, HE'S ONE OF MY FAVORITE ACTORS. HE WAS JESUS IN THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST IN CASE YOU DON'T RECOGNIZE THE NAME. OKAY, I'LL SHUT UP NOW.)  
  
"Hey, there's a cat out there!"  
  
Sirius got up from the sofa and stood behind her, looking out the door. It ran through the yard again and Raven put her hand on the doorknob. Sirius brought his hand up to her shoulder and pulled her back. "Let me get it."  
  
He went outside slowly and into the bushes after the cat. He came out with it in his arms, it desperately trying to get away. He held it in his hands and gently stroked its head. "I can feel her ribs. I think she might be sick," he said as he came back into the house.  
  
Raven resorted to her baby talk. "Aw, hi, baby. Hi, sweetie, are you lost?" She gently took the cat from Sirius and cradled it into her arm, petting it gently with her fingers. "I don't have any catfood. Get a dish of milk, will you?"  
  
Sirius hopped right to it and after the cat had her fill of milk, she was very friendly and laid between the two of them on the couch. Sirius made Raven go to the previous scene so he didn't miss any of the movie. Sirius tried to contain his frustration in the movie so he didn't scare the cat.  
  
"She's a sweetie," he said as he stroked the top of her head and she purred.  
  
"She is. Wonder where she came from."  
  
"Well, she's ours now," said Sirius, simply.  
  
"Ours?"  
  
"Yes, ours. We can't just leave her. She can come live with me."  
  
"Does Padfoot get along with cats?"   
  
"Padfoot loves kitties, he'll be happy to have another animal around."  
  
"What does he need another one for?" teased Raven.  
  
"Hey! I'm no animal!" 'Lies,' he thought to himself.  
  
A/N: *FRAU FARBISSINA YELLING VOICE* LIES! ALL LIES!!! HEHE, SORRY. HOPE YOU LIKED THE CHAPTER. PLEASE REVIEW! WE ARE GETTING DANGEROUSLY CLOSE TO RAVEN FINDING OUT WHO SIRIUS REALLY IS..... 


	7. You Can't Handle the Truth!

"RENEGADE"  
  
A/N: THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE REVIEWS. KEEP EM COMIN, YOU GUYS ARE GREAT! I THINK THIS MIGHT BE THE CHAPTER YOU GUYS ARE WAITING FOR.  
  
Disclaimer: Sad to say, I don't own Sirius Black. If I did, I would not have killed off the closest thing Harry had to a father because he's been through enough bullshit already in his life!  
  
Random Thoughts: These are just like my little bit of inspiration or humor that I put at the beginning of every chapter I write. I don't know why, I just like to do it. They aren't meant to fit with the chapter or anything.  
  
This chapter's random thought: "Fear can hold you prisoner; hope can set you free." ~The Shawshank Redemption (Another movie a lot like PoA. Or as I always say, "The Azkaban Redemption!" Siriusly, if you guys love Sirius as much as I do, you gotta see or read The Count of Monte Cristo and Shawshank Redemption. They're both awesome movies and books! "The Count of Monte Cristo" is by Alexandre Dumas and "Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption" is a novella from "Different Seasons" by Stephen King. "Different Seasons" also has the novella "The Body" which is what my favorite movie in the whole world is based on, STAND BY ME!!!!)  
  
Chapter 7 - You Can't Handle The Truth!  
  
Raven woke up early the next morning and couldn't go back to sleep. She decided to go buy some catfood and take it over to Sirius'. She hadn't been in his house and she thought this would be a good way of getting herself invited! She bought the catfood and made her way up Sirius' porch. The door was shut and locked.   
  
Raven knocked. "Sirius? I brought you a present!"  
  
"One second!" he called.  
  
"I don't have one second, this is heavy!" she teased, leaning the catfood against the wall of the house.  
  
Raven heard him shuffling towards the door. She heard a click and the door opened to reveal Sirius Black standing at the door with a mouthful of toothpaste wearing only a pair of jeans. Raven tried not to blush. She bit her bottom lip and looked at the ground.  
  
"C'mon in, I'll be right back," he said with his toothbrush halfway out of his mouth. He turned and went down the hall and into the bathroom.  
  
With a shirtless Sirius out of sight, Raven's senses came back to her. "So, do you ever get completely dressed during the day, or do you just put on clothes to come over to my house?"  
  
"So, wha'd you bring me?" he yelled from the bathroom.  
  
Raven wasn't sure if he had purposefully ignored her comment or just couldn't hear her from the bathroom. She rose her voice slightly. "Um...cat food," she brought the bag inside the door. "For our little kitty. Where is she?" Raven's eyes darted around the room. 'A bit messy,' she thought, 'but then again, he did just move in a few weeks ago.'  
  
"Uh, she's still sleeping on the couch, I think," he yelled back.  
  
Raven made her way over to the couch and sat down next to the sleeping cat. "Wha'd you name her?"  
  
"Well, I thought we should decide together," he said, moving now to his bedroom to put on a shirt. "What do you think of Lily?"  
  
"Lily?..." Raven thought for a minute. "Yeah, that's cute. Lily, it is." She stroked the cat as she resorted to baby talk. "Hi, Lily! Are you hungry, baby?"   
  
She fell silent as she noticed a long wooden stick sitting on the table next to the couch. She suddenly stood up as he came in the room and instinctively lunched for the wand, grabbing it and pointing it at him.  
  
Sirius froze and stared at her, brows furrowed. He put up his hands and said, soothingly, "Raven, what are you doing? Give me that. You don't know what it can do."  
  
"I don't?" she asked, raising her eyebrow at him and smirking dangerously. "Incarcerous!"  
  
Sirius' eyes widened with shock as thick ropes erupted from his wand and wound themselves around his body tightly. "You're a witch?! I thought you were a muggle!"   
  
"And you did a pretty good job of convincing me you were a muggle!" her eyes bore into him as she kept his wand pointed straight at his heart. "God, how could I have been so stupid? I trusted you!"  
  
"Raven, It's not what you think! I can explain everything!"  
  
"So what are you? A Death Eater sent to spy on me?" she took a few steps towards him, her mouth very thin.  
  
"What? You honestly have no idea who I am, do you?"  
  
"I think I'm about to find out if you want to keep your arms!" she gave the wand a little flick and the ropes around Sirius' abdomen tightened slightly.  
  
Sirius flinched and gave her a pleading look. "Do you think you could lose the ropes? They're really digging into me."  
  
Raven saw red marks forming around where the ropes were cutting into his arms. She gave the wand a wave and they dropped to the floor. She continued to point the wand at him. "Sit down and don't even think about moving or I'm going to hex you."  
  
Sirius obeyed. He sat down and looked up at her.  
  
"Well?" she said, waving her other hand in the air for him to start explaining.  
  
"If you had read the Daily Prophet the past few months you'd know exactly who Sirius Black is. He's the only wizard to ever escape Azkaban prison--"  
  
Raven gasped. "I knew it! You just admitted it! You're a Death Eater! You were in Azkaban!"  
  
Sirius gritted his teeth. "I'm NOT a Death Eater! Everyone thought I was! If you want to hear the whole story, stop interrupting me!"  
  
Raven fell silent.   
  
"I was sent to Azkaban for blowing apart a street full of muggles and one wizard, Peter Pettigrew, my best friend...Have you even heard of Harry Potter?"  
  
"Of course I have! I just haven't heard much in a long time because I told Josh only to tell me things about Voldemort, and there hasn't been much."  
  
"And that's a good thing...right?" asked Sirius, suspiciously. 'I wonder if she's a Death Eater or something," he thought.  
  
Raven spoke through clenched teeth. "I'm asking the questions! Keep going!" She pointed her wand at him.  
  
"Alright! Harry's my godson."  
  
"What?"  
  
"I was best friends with Lily and James Potter. I was their secret keeper because Voldemort was after them and Harry."  
  
Raven put up a hand to silence him. It was all coming back to her. She had heard about it all those years ago. Black betrayed the Potter's to Voldemort and then Voldemort went to kill them. A knot formed in her stomach as she remembered the cat still purring contentedly between them. "Oh my god! Lily? You name your cats after your victims? How sick and demented are you?"  
  
Sirius decided he was going about this the wrong way. He'd better just tell her everything all at once. "I'm innocent! I never betrayed James and Lily! They were my best friends! I would have died for them, that's why I agreed to be their secret keeper at first! But then I thought that would be too obvious. I convinced them to switch secret keepers at the last minute. I thought no one would suspect Peter because he was...well, a wimp...compared to the rest of us, anyway. But it was the stupidest thing I've ever done in my life. Peter was in league with Voldemort and he betrayed them. James and I had agreed that it would be better not to tell anyone about my switch with Peter, so everyone thought it was me. After I found out James and Lily had been killed, I knew the truth, so I went to find Peter and turn him in. He saw me coming and blew apart the entire street, transforming into a rat and leaving behind his own finger as evidence that I had killed him. I was framed by my own best friend. They didn't even give me a fair trial. They put me straight in Azkaban, assuming I was a Death Eater."  
  
Raven was staring at him intently with her mouth open. Her head was spinning. "This makes no sense. I-- How do you expect me to believe a story you had twelve years in Azkaban to come up with?"  
  
Sirius' face fell. "I guess I don't." He put his head in his hands and closed his eyes. "You can call the Ministry if you like. I won't put up a fight. I only escaped so I could protect Harry from that *thing* and turn him in, but it's no use now. I have no idea where he is."  
  
"What *thing?*"  
  
"Peter. He's an animagus. He cut off his own finger when we were in the street and then transformed, disappearing into the gutter.  
  
He'd been living with a wizard family as their pet rat while I was in Azkaban. When I got out, I headed straight for Hogwarts because I saw a picture of him with the Weasley family in an issue of the Daily Prophet that Fudge gave me. I found Peter, but the only people to see him alive were three thirteen year old kids and werewolf who just happens to be my best friend."  
  
Raven opened her mouth to ask about the werewolf best friend, but decided against it. She shook her head. "There isn't any reason I should believe you."  
  
"Have I tried to hurt you? You've only known me for a short time, but I know you don't think I'm a killer. I'm not a Death Eater and I'm not here for you. I don't even know what you're talking about, alright? And I'm not gonna ask. I don't know why, but I just need for you to believe me," pleaded Sirius.  
  
Raven looked sadly at Sirius. "I..." Raven was struck with a sudden idea. "Legilimency, you ready?" She raised his wand.  
  
Sirius jumped as she pointed the wand at him again. "You know how?"  
  
"Yeah. Josh taught me," she said as though this was the most obvious thing in the world.  
  
"O...kay...how do I do it? No one's ever..."  
  
"Just let me into your mind. Don't fight me. Concentrate."  
  
"...Alright..." He shifted uncomfortably on the couch as she sat next to him.  
  
"Legilimens!" she yelled as she pointed the wand at him. She could suddenly see inside his mind. Random memories of his started to enter her mind. First she saw a boy about thirteen years old with a scar on his head waving out a window at Hogwarts. That was Harry. Next she saw Sirius and another man eating cereal at a kitchen table. She pushed further and saw the shadow of a man morphing into a werewolf. Then she saw a small, mousy looking man point his wand at Sirius and say a spell. Then he transformed into a rat. Three kids, one of them was Harry, the man from the kitchen and Sirius were pointing their wands at the mousy looking man. She watched as a group of wizards surrounded Sirius sitting in a chair. One of them pointed a wand at him and Sirius' body went rigid. His eyes rolled up into his head and his body writhed as he yelped in terrible pain. Raven jumped and pushed the memories away. The room came back into focus. She was breathing heavily.  
  
Sirius grabbed her hands, as Raven reflexively jerked them upward, and looked into her eyes. "What did you see?"  
  
He was sitting only an inch from her. She looked into his eyes, a tear running down her cheek, and let out a sob. "They...they were...torturing you?"  
  
Comprehension dawned on Sirius' face. "For me to give them names of other Death Eaters. They thought I was one, remember?"  
  
Raven looked at Sirius compassionately as another tear ran down her cheek. Sirius wiped it away with his thumb and searched her face for an answer.  
  
"I believe you," she said finally.  
  
A/N: WOW, THAT WAS A HARD CHAPTER TO WRITE. I'M NOT GOOD AT DESCRIBING THINGS, AS YOU CAN PROBABLY TELL, LOL. YOU'LL FIND OUT ABOUT RAVEN, SOON, I PROMISE. HOPE YOU LIKED THIS CHAPTER. PLEASE REVIEW! BY THE WAY, CHECK OUT MY NEW FIC, TEMPTING FORTUNE. I WANTED TO TRY AN AU FIC (IT'S SET IN THE LATE 1800'S), BUT I THINK IT'S PRETTY GOOD SO FAR. ANYWAY, IT HAS ALL THE MARAUDERS IN IT AND MRS. BLACK AND RAVEN IF YOU LIKE THAT SORT OF THING. 


	8. Quid Pro Quo

"RENEGADE"  
  
A/N: THANX FOR THE REVIEWS! I REALIZE YOU KNEW ALL THAT STUFF ABOUT SIRIUS, BUT IT'S NECESSARY TO KNOW THE WAY HE TELLS IT TO RAVEN. ON TO THE CHAPTER...  
  
Disclaimer: Sad to say, I don't own Sirius Black. If I did, I would not have killed off the closest thing Harry had to a father because he's been through enough bullshit already in his life!  
  
Random Thoughts: These are just like my little bit of inspiration or humor that I put at the beginning of every chapter I write. I don't know why, I just like to do it. They aren't meant to fit with the chapter or anything.  
  
This chapter's random thought: "You belong among the wildflowers. You belong in a boat out at sea. Sail away; kill off the hours. You belong somewhere you feel free." ~"Wildflowers" by Tom Petty.  
  
Chapter 8 - Quid Pro Quo  
  
Incredibly relieved, Sirius suddenly pulled Raven into a rib-shattering hug. Surprized, Raven tensed slightly and then relaxed as Sirius clung to her.  
  
"Thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you..." muttered Sirius through the black hair that was against his face.  
  
Raven didn't quite know what to say or do. She decided to just sit and let him hold her if he needed to. She didn't exactly object to it.  
  
After a few minutes he released her and made himself busy opening the catfood and pouring some in a bowl for Lily. Raven had a feeling he was trying to compose himself.  
  
"I know you probably don't want to think about this anymore than you have to, but..." Raven trailed off as he sat next to her again.  
  
"It's alright. What?"  
  
"How in the hell did you escape? It's impossible to escape from Azkaban."  
  
Sirius grinned. He was rather proud of how he accomplished it, being the first and only person to ever escape.  
  
(A/N: WELL, NOT *ONLY*. BUT REMEMBER, THIS IS BEFORE GOBLET OF FIRE.)  
  
"Well, there's one more thing you don't know about me."  
  
"Only one?" asked Raven, raising her eyebrows.  
  
"Well...one more major thing."  
  
"I knew it!" exclaimed Raven triumphantly. "You're actually a woman!"  
  
Sirius' mouth dropped open and he let out a short laugh. "Fine, call me a woman and see if I tell you how I escaped." He crossed his arms in front of him and tilted his head upward, making a pouty face.  
  
"Oh you will tell me, Sirius Black," said Raven as she threateningly raised his wand and pointed it once more at him, "if you know what's good for you."  
  
"What are you gonna do?" asked Sirius anxiously.  
  
"Diffindo," replied Raven, nonchalantly  
  
"The cutting spell? What exactly are you gonna cut?" asked Sirius uneasily, fearing he already knew the answer.  
  
"Each and every limb from your body, starting with your shortest, capiche?"  
  
Sirius' eyes widened in pretend shock and the two of them burst into laughter.  
  
"Then I really would be a woman!" teased Sirius.  
  
"Okay now, seriously, Sirius..." she started to laugh again.  
  
Sirius rolled his eyes.  
  
"I'm sorry! How many times in your life have people used that terrible pun?"  
  
"Too many to count, definitely. Could I have my wand back, please?"  
  
"Not a chance. I'm not finished interrogating you yet. I wanna know how you--"  
  
"Escaped?" Sirius asked. "With difficulty. But I have an advantage over anyone who's in Azkaban right now."  
  
Raven expression was questioning. "Which is?"  
  
Sirius suddenly transformed into Padfoot, the big black dog Raven believed to be his pet.  
  
Raven stared as her mouth dropped open. "Why you little..."  
  
Sirius had already transformed into himself again. "Little what?"  
  
"Animal! You were spying on me!"  
  
"Naturally," said Sirius offhandedly. "I'd just spent twelve years confined in a cell, Raven. I couldn't resist a beautiful girl." He looked straight into her eyes, seemingly not in the least bit apprehensive about what he'd just said.  
  
Raven bit her bottom lip and rolled her eyes. "I bet you use that excuse on all the women you spy on!"  
  
"What other women? There's only been you!"  
  
"Am I supposed to be flattered?"  
  
Sirius smiled widely. "Whatever you like."  
  
Raven shook her head. "So how was that a difficult escape then? And why didn't you do it sooner?"  
  
Sirius held up his hands parallel to each other and spread them about 6 or 7 inches apart. "The bars were only that far apart. But after so many years of getting shit to eat everyday, I eventually became thin enough as a dog. I also had to wait until the dementor effects wore off. They nearly drove me insane when I first got there, and for a long time after. But eventually I was able to hold onto the thought that I was innocent. It wasn't exactly a happy thought because I was still stuck in that hell hole, but it kept me sane enough until I discovered that as a dog, dementors didn't affect me as much."  
  
Raven nodded her head a bit as she thought. "Dementors can't see; it's perfect. Animal thoughts are less...complex?"  
  
"Exactly. I could still feel them, but it wasn't nearly as bad. Anyways, I eventually stopped eating entirely, save enough food to keep me alive, when I realized I might be able to slip through the bars. I swam to the mainland as a dog and then went to find the rat."  
  
"But how did you get your hands on the animagus potion ingredients? I mean it takes years to brew, not to mention, it requires one of the most complicated transfiguration spells in the book."  
  
Sirius shook his head. "No, sorry. I was an animagus before I was sent to Azkaban. My fifth year at Hogwarts, actually."  
  
Raven looked impressed. "Really?"  
  
"I had four best friends. James, Remus, and the rat. We found out in our second year that Remus was a werewolf, and we wanted to keep him company. So James and I worked it out."  
  
"Pretty impressive for a fifth year."  
  
Sirius shrugged. "Well, not to brag but I was one of the top students in my year."  
  
Raven rolled her eyes. "So was I."  
  
"You went to Hogwarts?"  
  
She nodded.  
  
"Yeah? And then what?" asked Sirius.  
  
Raven gave him a look and shook her head.  
  
"Raven, that's not fair! I told you my story, now you're gonna tell me yours."  
  
"And if I don't?" she said, eyeing him adamantly.  
  
"If you dont..." started Sirius, tapping his finger to his lip as if thinking.   
  
He quickly lunged forward and clasped his fingers around his wand. Raven kept hold firmly and they paused for a moment, staring into each others eyes, searching for a sign of surrender. With his other hand, Sirius tickled Raven's ribs and she reflexively doubled over, forgetting the wand and launching into a fit of giggles. Stowing the wand in his back pocket, Sirius continued to tickle her, kneeling over her on the couch and laughing along with her. Choking with laughter, Raven suddenly threw him off of her and tried to regain her regular breathing. Sirius steadied himself on the couch and continued to laugh.  
  
Raven gave him an icy stare. "That's not fair. You cheated."  
  
"Quite the predicament you're in, Raven. 'It's not fair?' You think it's fair that I tell you my whole life story when you haven't even told me your full name?"  
  
"Sirius, don't push your luck. It had already been pushed to its limit when I said I believed your story."  
  
"I'll take my chances," said Sirius, drawing the wand from his pocket and pointing it at her. "Quid pro quo, Dr. Lecter."  
  
(A/N: IF YOU DON'T GET THAT, YOU REALLY NEED TO SEE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS. ASK IN YOUR REVIEW AND I'LL EXPLAIN IT TO YOU.)  
  
Raven tried to keep from smiling but failed. "Alright. What do you think you know?"  
  
"I know you're not twenty-five."  
  
"Well, you'd be wrong. I'm almost twenty-six," she smiled, mysteriously.  
  
"Care to explain that then?"  
  
"Not really."  
  
"Well, you're about to if you want to make it to twenty-six," said Sirius, mimicking what Raven had said to him.  
  
Raven rolled her eyes. "I don't look twenty-six, because I don't age."  
  
"What are you talking about?"  
  
"And I don't die."  
  
"You're immortal?" asked Sirius, disbelievingly.  
  
Raven answered, looking him in the eye, "I'm a vampire."  
  
A/N: SORRY, BIT OF A CLIFFHANGER THERE. THE CHAPTER WAS GETTING TOO LONG FOR ME. THE NEXT WILL BE UP VERY SOON DON'T WORRY, AND YOU'LL LEARN THE WHOLE STORY. THANX FOR THE REVIEWS, GUYS! 


	9. Interview With The Vampire

"RENEGADE"  
  
A/N: I'M SO SORRY IT'S TAKEN ME FOREVER FOR THIS CHAPTER GUYS. I HAVE EXAMS, BUT AFTER THIS WEEK I'LL BE DONE UNTIL AUGUST! WHOO-HOO!!! SORRY...ANYWAYS, LOTS OF INFORMATION IN THIS CHAPTER. MAKE SURE YOU GET IT ALL. AND BY THE WAY, I HAVE A NEW STORY, BUT IT'S UNDER A DIFFERENT PEN NAME. THE PEN NAME IS "Liveley" AND THE FIC IS "Padfoot Prohibited: A list of things Sirius L. Black is no longer allowed to do or say at Hogwarts." LONG TITLE, I KNOW. ANYWAYS, I WAS JUST TRYING SOMETHING DIFFERENT, SO CHECK IT OUT AND TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK.  
  
Disclaimer: Sad to say, I don't own Sirius Black. If I did, I would not have killed off the closest thing Harry had to a father because he's been through enough bullshit already in his life!  
  
Random Thoughts: These are just like my little bit of inspiration or humor that I put at the beginning of every chapter I write. I don't know why, I just like to do it. They aren't meant to fit with the chapter or anything.  
  
This chapter's random thought: "Do you still want death or have you tasted it enough?" ~Lestat, Interview With The Vampire  
  
Chapter 9 - Interview With A Vampire  
  
Sirius tensed visably and choked, "You're a vampire?"  
  
Raven nodded coolly.  
  
Sirius shook his head. "But there aren't even any vampires left! There was this whole big fiasco at the ministry like twenty years ago, about vampires being hunted to extinction."  
  
"Almost to extinction. I never understood exactly how the ministry could be sure they'd gotten them all. Some were asleep. They're very rare in Europe now. There are quite a few more in America."  
  
"Raven, you don't even have fangs," said Sirius as his eyes wandered to her teeth just to make sure.  
  
"I don't grow fangs unless I thirst for blood. I don't thirst for blood unless I forget to take my potion every 24 hours."  
  
"What potion?"  
  
"The wolfsbane potion. It was developed as a cure for lycans, but when they found out it only made their symptoms less severe, they tried it on vampires. Vampires and lycans..." she trailed off as she noticed Sirius' obviously confused expression. "What?"  
  
"Lycans...?"  
  
"Werewolves. Vampires and *werewolves* are very similar creatures. Basically the only difference is that werewolves are affected by moon cycles while vampires can change at any time. And lycans are uglier."  
  
"Hey! My best friend is a...lycan or whatever you call it. So you take the potion and then what?"  
  
"If I take the potion, I'm normal; I can't turn into a vampire. Vampires without the potion are victims to the smell of blood. If they see or smell blood, the vampire in them takes over and who knows what they could do. If I take the potion, I can be in the sunlight, I can eat regular food, I can have a reflection, all that kind of stuff."  
  
"Can you eat garlic?"  
  
Raven laughed. "I'm actually quite fond of garlic. The garlic thing is bullshit, as well as the holy water, and the crucifixes and so on. Almost all of that stuff is bullshit. Pretty much the only thing that can kill a vampire is a stake through the heart or continuous direct sunlight."  
  
"So how old were you when you were bitten?"  
  
"Nineteen."  
  
"And then you came here?"  
  
Raven nodded. "With my cousin, Josh."  
  
"What about your parents?"  
  
"They were killed," she said, with no expression whatsoever on her face.  
  
Sirius' eyes widened and he leaned forward. "By...who?" he asked, his eyes brimming with sympathy.  
  
"By the same thing who killed your two best friends," Raven responded blandly.  
  
"What?" screeched Sirius. "Voldemort killed your parents?"  
  
She nodded.  
  
"Raven, what's your last name?"  
  
"McKinnon."  
  
Sirius practically fell backwards off of the couch. "Nick and Marlene McKinnon? Jesus Christ! They were in The Order."  
  
"Yeah, I know."  
  
"Were you bitten before or after they died?"  
  
"After."  
  
"Well how?"  
  
"I was all depressed and I met a cute guy who said he knew how I felt. Next thing I know, I'm a vampire and Death Eaters are following me everywhere I go and--"  
  
Sirius interrupted her, "Death Eaters? Oh my God, why?"  
  
"So they could all be immortal like their master. Voldemort was trying to find out what makes vampires immortal so he could use it on his Death Eaters and be undefeatable."  
  
"How did he know you were a vampire though?" asked Sirius.  
  
"Well, the vampire I met was in knockturn alley. One of the Death Eaters saw him bite me and when he was finished, he left me. There's sort of a transition period right after you're bitten before you become a vampire, and I was weak, so the Death Eater took me somewhere."  
  
"To Voldemort?" asked Sirius in amazement.   
  
"Voldemort was already gone. This was like almost seven years ago. But I guess the guy still wanted to be immortal, or maybe he'd been trying to find a vampire since his master was defeated and he stumbled across me."  
  
Sirius' voice softened, "Did he hurt you?"  
  
Raven smiled, "We didn't get that far."  
  
"What does that mean?"  
  
"Well, he asked me a few questions and cut my wrist and started to fill a vial with my blood. But vampires heal very quickly, so the cut kept closing on him, which made me realize what I was and it's like my instinct took over. I saw the blood and grew fangs. He raised his wand, so I took one step out of the way and I was suddenly on the other side of the room. I could teleport."  
  
"Teleport? Like apparate?" asked Sirius.  
  
"Teleport. The ministry can't trace it, like apparating, or they'd know where all the vampires were. Besides, teleporting isn't disappearing from one place and reappearing in another; it's more like speeding up time. As long as you can see where you want to go, you can teleport to it in a matter of seconds. It's like running really fast, only faster."  
  
Sirius shook his head. "I'm getting a headache."  
  
"Don't think much, do you?" she teased.  
  
Sirius smiled at the joke. "So then you escaped and came here?"  
  
"Well, I went to Josh's house and told him what happened and he said I should get out of town. He brought me here and I've been here ever since. I like it here now, or I would go back."  
  
"You like being cut off from the world?" asked Sirius.  
  
"Your best friend is a lycan, right? I'm sure he's told you how hard it is being what he is. You try to hide it, but people find out and then it all blows up in your face. It's better here. No one asks me questions I don't feel like answering." She put on a smile and kicked Sirius lightly with the foot she had resting on the couch. "Then you came along."  
  
"Oh don't give me that. You're relieved."  
  
"Relieved of what?"  
  
"Relieved that I know and I'm not freaked out or scared of you."  
  
"You're not scared of me? You haven't seen me as a vampire, Sirius. You'd be scared."  
  
"I would not! I'm not scared of werewolves, and vampires don't bite dogs, do they?"  
  
"Not unless they're desperate," she teased.  
  
"So what about your friend over there, does she know?" Sirius gestured out the window.  
  
"Jordan? She's my one and only friend, of course she knows."  
  
Sirius frowned and scoffed. "Your only friend?"  
  
"You sure you wanna be my friend?"  
  
"If that's your best offer," he said in an undertone.  
  
"What was that, Mr. Black?" asked Raven, although she had heard what he said.  
  
The two of them just looked into each others eyes for a minute or two until Lily jumped up, purring between them.  
  
A/N: HOPE YOU LIKED IT. I HAD THIS CHAPTER ALMOST FINISHED AND THEN I REALIZED A FLAW, SO I HAD TO GO FIX IT. IF SOMETHING DOESN'T MAKE SENSE, IT MAY BE BECAUSE I MISSED SOMETHING, SO LET ME KNOW. PLEASE REVIEW! LUV YA! 


	10. Two Friends

"RENEGADE"  
  
A/N: GOD, I'M SO SORRY IT'S TAKEN ME FOREVER TO UPDATE. I'VE BEEN REALLY SICK FOR A LONG TIME AND I HAD EXAMS. HOPE YOU LIKE THE CHAPTER.  
  
Disclaimer: Sad to say, I don't own Sirius Black. If I did, I would not have killed off the closest thing Harry had to a father because he's been through enough bullshit already in his life!  
  
Random Thoughts: These are just like my little bit of inspiration or humor that I put at the beginning of every chapter I write. I don't know why, I just like to do it. They aren't meant to fit with the chapter or anything.  
  
This chapter's random thought: "Life is a cookie." ~America's Sweethearts  
  
Chapter 10 - Two Friends  
  
Raven opened the door and stepped backwards to let Sirius saunter in. He froze when he saw another woman sitting at Raven's kitchen table, looking him up and down. He glanced quickly at Raven. Sensing his apprehensiveness, Raven placed herself between them and gestured from one to the other.   
  
"Jordan, this is Sirius. Sirius, Jordan.  
  
"Hi," said Sirius uneasily.  
  
"Hello," replied Jordan allknowingly.  
  
Raven gave Jordan a look. She had a way of looking as though she could tell everything about a person by just looking at them.  
  
Jordan broke into a smile. "I've heard all about you. Are you a witch, too?"  
  
"Dammit, Jordan!" warned Raven. "First of all, it's a cardinal sin to tell any muggle of your magical powers so unless you want me to wipe your memory, I suggest you--"  
  
Jordan held up her hand and grinned. "I'll be good."  
  
"Thank you. And secondly, females are witches, males are wizards." She turned to Sirius. "Sorry, she made me tell her everything a few years ago."  
  
An amused grin creeped along Sirius' lips and he shrugged. "It's okay."   
  
He took a seat at the table and helped himself to Raven's chocoffee, which is what Sirius' had insisted on calling it after he'd been there every morning since to have her coffee mixed with hot chocolate.  
  
"I was just telling Raven how I haven't seen her in so long. She seems to be preoccupied lately by something...or someone," suggested Jordan, slyly.  
  
Raven rolled her eyes and stepped on Jordan's foot under the table.  
  
She ignored it. "So has she told you everything, Sirius? All her deep, dark secrets?"  
  
Sirius smiled widely and turned to Raven questioningly.  
  
"What?" she asked, returning his smile.  
  
"You have more than one deep, dark secret?" he asked, leaning forward on his chair.  
  
"You already know my *one* deep, dark secret."  
  
"You sure about that?" he asked.  
  
"Yes!" Raven gave his shoulder a push and the back two legs of his chair snapped back down to the floor.  
  
Sirius put his arms out to balance himself. Then he narrowed his eyes on Jordan. "Does she treat you like this?"  
  
"Oh no," said Jordan. "But then again, she'd be barking up the wrong tree if she did."  
  
Raven gasped and stood from her chair, pulling Jordan's arm up with her. "Alright, Jordi, that's quite enough. You'll be going now." Jordan was forced to stand and walk behind Raven to the door. Sirius was laughing.  
  
"Wha'd I say?" she asked innocently. She turned and nodded her head to Sirius. "I guess I'll be going now. Nice to meet you, Sirius."  
  
"Likewise," he replied.  
  
"Have fun," she called as she took the porch steps two at a time and retreated to her own house.  
  
Raven sat back down at the table and sighed.  
  
"I like her," said Sirius.  
  
Raven smiled.  
  
"You didn't have to kick her out, ya know."  
  
"I do every morning she's here. She has to be at work in five minutes."  
  
"Oh," Sirius nodded. "She's very direct, isn't she?"  
  
"I'm surprized you noticed," joked Raven as she refilled his cup. "So what movie are we gonna watch today?"  
  
"Actually, I wanted to show you something."  
  
Raven looked at him mischievously. "Show me something?"  
  
In two gulps, he'd drained his coffee cup, and he seized her hand. "C'mon," he said, pulling her from the table and out her front door.   
  
"Sirius, you're pulling my arm out of its socket," said Raven, trying to find her feet as he pulled her strongly toward his house.   
  
He slowed up so that Raven could walk next to him and they fell in step together. She turned to look at him sideways.   
  
"Where are you taking me, Sirius Black?"  
  
"Down into my basement," he said, trying to sound as normal about it as possible.  
  
Raven stopped walking. "Excuse me?"  
  
"Yeah. I want you to see something," he said, taking her hand again and pulling her.  
  
"But what exactly are you gonna show me?" she asked, trying to resist him.  
  
"You'll see. It's nothing bad, I promise," he dragged her up his front steps and through his house.  
  
As he opened the door leading to the basement stairs, he picked up a blood-stained gray bag leaning against the adjecent wall. He led Raven down in front of him.  
  
When she reached the bottom of the stairs, she stopped. "I'm here. What do you want me to see?"  
  
"Around the corner, to your left," said Sirius as he set down the bag at the foot of the stairs.  
  
He put one hand over Raven's eyes and another in the middle of her back, leading her around the corner and forward.  
  
Buckbeak gave a loud hoot as he saw Sirius coming towards him and Raven quickly wrenched Sirius' hand from her eyes and jumped backwards into him. Sirius let out a chuckle, which he regretted as she gave him a look of pure terror. Leading her slowly forward, he gently put his hands on her shoulders and spoke soothingly into her ear.  
  
"This is the hippogriff that helped me escape from Hogwarts. His name is Buckbeak. He won't hurt you unless you insult him."  
  
Raven looked over the creature. He had the hind legs and tail of a horse, but eagle wings and head. Her eyes drifted to the half foot long talons on the beasts two front legs and she shuddered. Sirius' voice floated back to her, insistantly.  
  
"I'm not gonna let him hurt you." He reached around Raven and stroked Buckbeak's gray feathers, reassuring him. He then returned to Raven's side and pushed her up to him. "Look him in the eye and try not to blink too much. That's it. Now you have to bow."  
  
"What?" She spoke out of the corner of her mouth, but didn't dare look away from the hippogriffs brilliant orange eyes.  
  
"Like in karate. Bow. You have to let him make the first move."  
  
Raven didn't argue. She cautiously bowed and then looked up. Buckbeak immediately sank into a bow and Sirius smiled. He moved up behind her again, taking her hand and running it across Buckbeak's feathery beak. The hippogriff reacted much like Lily the cat would have if Raven had been petting it. She relaxed slightly.  
  
"You escaped on this?" she asked.  
  
"Yep."  
  
"He's beautiful," she said as she more freely ran her fingers across his feathers.  
  
"Mmhmm," said Sirius into her ear.  
  
Raven suddenly noticed how close they were standing. She turned to look at him. Sirius was biting his bottom lip and looking at her as he pushed a strand of hair behind her ear. He almost looked like a teenager.  
  
"So are you."  
  
He brushed his lips hesitantly across hers at first, and when she met them, he kissed her more firmly. He ran his tongue across her bottom lip and into her mouth, deepening the kiss. There seemed to be a sort of desperate intensity to the way he kissed her. They were both lost in it.  
  
Buckbeak gave another loud hoot, as he impatiently waited for his dinner, and the two of them jumped apart. Sirius gave Raven a sideways smirk before leaving her to get the bag he'd left by the stairs.  
  
He spoke to Buckbeak as he pulled a dead rat from the bag and held it by its tail. "Oh alright, I know what you want."  
  
Raven cringed as she watched Buckbeak devour the rat. He finished it in a matter of seconds and lifted his head questioningly again.  
  
"Want another one?" Sirius threw him another rat and he stooped to reach it. "What about you, Rave?"  
  
"Actually I do," she said, as she pulled on the collar of his shirt until his lips met hers again.  
  
A/N: I WAS GETTING TIRED OF DANCING AROUND THE SUBJECT, SO I JUST DECIDED TO GET IT OVER AND DONE WITH. WHAT DO YOU THINK? 


End file.
